Goodbye, Rose
by trishathetrashywriter
Summary: Rose gives up her life to save Jack from freezing to death. She leaves him with the Heart of the Ocean. Also in this version Rose is older than Jack.


It was past midnight. The Titanic had just taken a plunge into the vast ocean, leaving its third class passengers to fend for themselves.

Everyone was screaming in the below freezing water of the Atlantic ocean. Some people were yelling for help. Others were rendered speechless by the unbearably cold temperature and could do nothing but scream. But no one was relaxing, for it was difficult to stay calm and still when you were feeling the pain of the Atlantic in the middle of the night, which was comparable to the pain of being stabbed with a thousand knives. For a minute, things seemed hopeless for even Jack and Rose. They were certain they were going to freeze to death.

"Look! Over there," said Jack pointing out a floating piece of debris that could be used as a live preserver.

Jack and Rose swam over to it in desperation and hope.

Jack climbed onto the large, fancy door. Rose tried to do the same, but she was too much weight for the poor door.

She slid off with a scream.

After letting Jack climb back up onto the door, she rested her arms on the door, letting most of her body stay below the water, with only her head and neck remaining above the water. No matter what happened, she was going to remain by Jack's side.

"The boats are coming back for us," Rose reassured him.

Jack nodded.

"When all of this blows over, I intend to write a strongly worded letter to The White Starline about all this," said Jack.

Rose couldn't help but giggle. It was funny to imagine a properly written letter full of curse words. _It would start out very formal, with 'Dear White Starline, I am sorry to tell you this but your unsinkable ship was not all it was cut out to be.' Then it would be filled with curse words to let them know that it was written by a twenty-year-old._

"I'll never forget you, Jack," said Rose with a smile.

There was moment of silence.

"No, don't you do that," said Jack once he registered what Rose had just said. "Don't you say your goodbyes. You're not going to die. Not yet. Not like this. Not this night. You're going to die an old lady, warm in your bed, just like my grandmother did. Now get up on the door, Rose. I don't care what it takes. Pull yourself up with all your might. It may not be easy, but you have to at least try."

"Jack, I want you have this," said Rose before putting her arm underwater and reaching inside her pocket. She pulled out...

The Heart of the Ocean.

Jack's jaw dropped.

She gently dropped the precious jewelry into his hand.

"Take good care of her. You understand? Promise me that, and never let go of that promise."

Jack nodded.

Jack was in tears now. First, his mother left him. Now, Rose was going to leave him. Why do all the women who love you have to leave you so soon?

"Dear sweet Jack... do you remember your hopes and dreams? What you hoped to accomplish once you made it to America?" said Rose.

"Well, I wanted to see my family again. But they died a long time ago. I guess I was just homesick, and longed to be back in the town where I grew up, without a care in the world."

"Oh, Jack... you will see your family again."

"How?"

"Your loved ones never really leave you. I sometimes feel like my father is watching me from Heaven."

"I never thought of death that way," said Jack.

"Well, Jack, whenever you feel alone, just remember that the ones you love will always be with you. Even after they pass away."

"But you can't die! You're the best thing that ever happened to me," said Jack. He began to cry at the realization that his beloved was going to die.

"Awww, Jack. Don't cry. I'll never forget you. Not even when I'm dead. You have a face that looks like it was carved by angels."

Jack was not phased by the compliment. It certainly wasn't the first time someone had complimented him on his looks.

"I don't want you to go!" bawled Jack.

"And I won't. I'll be with you for always and always," said Rose.

After a few hours, when things had quieted down and every third class person who had boarded the Titanic was dead except Jack himself, he glanced at Rose, thinking she had merely passed out from the cold water.

He sighed to himself. When was the lifeboat going to come? He couldn't bear the cold weather any longer. He had already caught hypothermia on the ship from walking around in the freezing water.

Soon enough, after Jack himself had passed out from the cold, a lifeboat came. The officer was carrying a flashlight.

"Is anyone alive out there?" he echoed.

Jack remained unconscious.

Soon, when he got close enough, the beam of his flashlight reached Jack.

"Poor lad," he said sympathetically.

They rowed towards Jack.

When they got closer, they noticed Rose's corpse next to Jack.

Ignoring it, the crewmen helped the officer lift Jack and load him onto the lifeboat.

When Jack came to the next day, he was given warm soup.

He sipped it, then looked around.

"Where's Rose?"

"Who?"

"My girlfriend. Where is she?"

The officer exchanged glances with a crewmen.

"Son, I hate to tell you this, but... your girl's dead."

Jack suddenly felt depressed. He lost everyone that fateful night. His best friend, his new friend that he had just met on board, and his new and only love interest. How could this happen? Everything seemed so perfect the day he got on Titanic.

"It's okay, friend," said the officer sympathetically. "Just be thankful it wasn't you."


End file.
